Center City panel considers reopening Main Street to car traffic

A Center City Commission panel is considering reintroducing automobile traffic to Main Street, where trolley driver Dyanne Saulsburry travels.

A Center City Commission panel is considering reintroducing automobile traffic to Main Street, where trolley driver Dyanne Saulsburry travels.

Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal

At the urging of retailers, residents and two national consultants, city officials are considering opening Main Street to vehicular traffic once again.

The Center City Commission Traffic and Transportation Committee agreed on Wednesday to explore four options to return traffic to Main Street Mall, with a possible selection in August.

"In light of these recommendations ... it seemed to the staff that the subject of returning vehicles to Main Street was at least worthy of our serious consideration," said CCC president Jeff Sanford.

In April, Economics Research Associates stressed that reopening Main would play a vital role in reviving Downtown retail. The Center City Development Corp., a CCC-affiliated board, hired Economics Research last

year to develop a $97,000 retail development strategy for Downtown and a retail growth strategy for the Central Business Improvement District.

Economics Research suggested two options to the CCC, including a $9 million overhaul of the mall that would completely replace the trolley system and construct a 30-foot-wide asphalt road.

While not as extensive, the second Economics Research suggestion would cost $3.5 million but keep the trolley tracks intact.

In a separate study presented in May by renowned city planner and urban developer Jeff Speck, returning traffic to Main was deemed one of the top suggestions for "making Memphis great."

His suggestion would be to make minimal changes to the street costing only $50,000, to return vehicles almost immediately and to keep trolleys running.

The CCC is also considering an option that would reintroduce traffic along the New Main Demonstration Block with a barrier for pedestrians at a cost of $500,000.

Allowing vehicles on Main won't transform the area overnight but will be vital to the revival of Downtown, said Andy Kitsinger, vice president of planning and development for the CCC.

"It needs to be seen as an investment for future economic development," he said.

Some Main Street business owners are excited about the possibility of returning traffic to the mall.

John Bragg, who owns the trendy restaurant Circa at 119 S. Main, said Main Street needs traffic for businesses to survive.

"Memphis is a driving town," he said. "People want to be able to cruise by and see what's going on. A lot of folks aren't just going to park Downtown and walk around to see what's what."

While some tout that eliminating the pedestrian-only street will diminish aesthetics or prevent a "green" lifestyle, Bragg said it will be just the opposite.

"There is nothing aesthetic about a boarded-up building," he said. "And my idea of sustainable development means you don't go out of business."

Downtown residents might benefit from the change as well, said Tom Volinchak, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

"So goes downtown business, so goes the residents," he said. "If your businesses aren't thriving, the rest of your experience is going to be at risk. Personally, I'm all for doing whatever local businesses think will help them."

Over the next 45 days, the CCC staff will gather more in-depth information on the four options for the transportation committee to consider before it decides to present the idea to the CCC.

The commission plans to hold one-on-one meetings with Main Street businesses and a public meeting open to the Downtown community within that time, said Kitsinger.

"This is not the end-all solution," he said. "But this is a key component."